Banyumas Regency Government Strives to Keep Trans Banyumas Operational

The Banyumas Regency Government in Central Java is continuing its efforts to ensure the sustainability of the Trans Banyumas Buy The Service (BTS) bus operations, despite the cessation of subsidies from the State Budget (APBN) and the region’s constrained financial condition. Banyumas Regent Sadewo Tri Lastiono stated in Purwokerto on Wednesday that he is making every effort to prevent the service from stopping. “The Trans Banyumas subsidy from the APBN has been halted. Our financial condition is indeed not in good shape, but I have been trying my utmost to ensure Trans Banyumas does not stop operating,” he said. He noted that the operational funds for Trans Banyumas are currently estimated to last only until 28 August 2026, pending further funding certainty. Consequently, the local government is formulating various financing schemes to keep the public transport service running. “I am currently discussing this with the budget team and the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) because services to the public must continue,” he added. According to him, Trans Banyumas is an essential service for the community, obligating the local government to maintain its continuity even though the programme was initially a central government initiative under the BTS subsidy scheme. He admitted he had previously hoped for one final subsidy disbursement from the central government through the Ministry of Transportation, valued at around IDR 13 billion to IDR 14 billion. However, as this subsidy has not yet materialised, the regency government must prepare anticipatory measures. “The most important thing is that Trans Banyumas does not stop. We are currently preparing the budget source together with the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD) and the DPRD. Public service must continue,” he stressed. He explained that the Trans Banyumas fleet is not an asset of the Banyumas Regency Government, as the fleet investment was made by a private entity. Under the BTS scheme, the government pays the operator based on kilometres travelled, necessitating subsidy support to keep fares affordable for the public. The programme is part of an effort to provide safe, comfortable, and cheap public transport. According to an assessment by the Ministry of Transportation, Trans Banyumas is one of the best BTS services in Indonesia due to its high passenger load factor. As one measure to reduce the subsidy burden, the Banyumas Regency Government plans to optimise non-fare revenue by utilising advertising space on the Trans Banyumas fleet. “One of the efforts to reduce the subsidy amount is through advertising. Later, Trans Banyumas can be branded for advertisements to generate additional income,” Sadewo said. Data from the Banyumas Regency Transportation Office indicates that the remaining operational budget for Trans Banyumas is only sufficient until 28 August 2026, with monthly operational needs of around IDR 3.3 billion. An additional budget of approximately IDR 15 billion is required for the service to continue operating until December 2026. However, operational costs are expected to decrease by around 25 to 35 per cent starting from April 2027, as the instalments for the bus fleet purchase, financed through initial investor capital, are scheduled to be fully paid off, thereby removing the investment cost component from operational expenses.